The Glorious Return Of Jesus Christ
God’s people throughout redemptive history have eagerly anticipated the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to defeat His foes and set up His kingdom. That will be the time when the destruction of Satan is completed (Gen. 3:15; Rom. 16:20), when the true King receives the ruling scepter (Gen. 49:10), when God will establish the throne of David’s greater Son (2 Sam. 7:13; Isa. 9:7), when the Son will rule the earth with a rod of iron (Ps. 2:6–9), when the armies of Gog and Magog will be shattered (Ezek. 38–39), when the nations will be judged (Joel 3:1–2, 12–14) after their defeat in battle by the returning King (Zech. 14:3–4), when Jerusalem will be the center of Messiah’s kingdom (Zech. 12:3–9), when the angels will gather the wicked for judgment (Matt. 13:41–42; 25:41), when the wicked will face God’s wrath and indignation (Rom. 2:5–9), and when the Lord Jesus Christ will descend visibly (Rev. 1:7) from heaven in flaming fire, bringing retribution on the persecutors of His people (2 Thess. 1:6–9; cf. Rev. 6:9–11).
The second coming of Jesus Christ is thus the culmination of redemptive history. Believers of all ages have eagerly anticipated that glorious event (cf. Isa. 64:1–2). In fact, the apostle Paul defined Christians as those “who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8). Many believers, however, are enamored by the things of the world and do not love Christ’s appearing as they should. Certainly the Tribulation believers will have no such problem. They will be persecuted, hunted outcasts (cf. 13:17), living constantly under the sentence of death (13:15) in an unspeakably vile, demon-infested world. Christ’s coming will be what they long for and pray for.
The Second Coming must be distinguished from the Rapture of the church prior to the seven-year Tribulation; the differing biblical descriptions of the two events indicate that they are distinct from each other. At the Rapture, Christ comes for His saints (John 14:3; 1 Thess. 4:16–17); at the Second Coming, He comes with them (see the discussion of v. 14 below). Furthermore, at the Rapture, Christ meets His saints in the air (1 Thess. 4:17) to take them to heaven (John 14:2–3); at the Second Coming, He descends with them from heaven to the earth (Zech. 14:4).
Though some would like to pick and choose which teachings of Jesus they wish to accept, He is just as faithful to His promises of wrath and judgment as He is to His promises of grace and salvation.
His holy nature demands a holy, righteous reaction to sin. And because He always does what He says, He must judge the wicked
Jesus came the first time as Savior; He will return as Judge. When He came the first time, wicked people, including Pilate, Herod, Annas, and Caiaphas judged Him; when He returns, He will judge all wicked people (Acts 17:31). And He will not only be their judge, but also their executioner (vv. 15, 21). Angels may gather the wicked for judgment (Matt. 13:41), but the Lord Jesus will pass sentence on them.
No longer the Suffering Servant of His incarnation, the Lord Jesus Christ is seen in this vision as the warrior King who wages war against His foes. He is the executioner of all ungodly, unbelieving sinners. The only other reference in Scripture to Jesus waging war is in 2:16, when He warned the worldly church at Pergamum, “Repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.” This is not out of keeping with God’s character, however. After their deliverance from the Egyptian forces at the Red Sea, Israel sang,
Jesus’ adversaries this time will be the hardened sinners who have defied His judgments and scorned the gospel message during the Tribulation. Despite all the devastating judgments they will have experienced, and the powerful gospel preaching they will have heard, they will stubbornly refuse to repent (9:20–21; 16:9, 11). Since neither judgment nor preaching moves them to repent, Jesus will return to destroy them and send them to hell.
Unlike other conquerors the world has seen, covetousness, ambition, pride, or power will not motivate this Conqueror. He will come in utter righteousness, in perfect holiness, and in strict accord with every holy interest.
Unlike other conquerors the world has seen, covetousness, ambition, pride, or power will not motivate this Conqueror. He will come in utter righteousness, in perfect holiness, and in strict accord with every holy interest.
There is a limit to God’s patience. Justice cannot always tolerate injustice; truth cannot forever tolerate lies; rebellion cannot be permitted to go on forever. Incorrigible, incurable, hardened sinners will face destruction; mercy abused and grace rejected will ultimately bring judgment.